Timer for internal-combustion engines



J. B.,DR'AHONOVSK Y. lTIMER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION man M Av g4. 1919.

y 1,413,01 1. Patented Apr. 1s, 1922.

UNITED srfrrzsV ifA'rEiv'il OFFICE.

.IOIIN B. nRArIONOvsKY, OF' MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN,y AssIeNOR, BY DIRECT AND ivIEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO MECHANICAL PRODUCTION co., or MILWAUKEE, WIS- CONsIN, A CORPORATION or WISCONSIN.

TIMER FOR INTERNAL-CO1VIBUSTION ENGINES.

specification of Letters-raient. Patentedk Apr. 18, 1922.-

Application. filed May 24, `1919. Serial No. 299,468.

To @ZZ whom t may concer/t:

e it known that l, JOHN B. DRAHoNovsnr, a citizen ot the United States, and resident oilE hlilv/ankee, in the county of Mil- Waukee and State ot' Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements 1n Timers 'for lnternal-Combustion Engines, oit' which the tolloiving is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which area part oi this specificaH tion.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in timers for internal ifomlnistion engines oit that type -having .a series ot tixed contact members spaced apart in a ring or casing of insulating material, and having a revoluble contact memher selectively engaging the ixed contact members. i

The insulating material noiv used in devices ot this clniracter is ot a fibre composition, and has proved very dissatistactory in' that the iihre, lfieing relatively soft, Wears down. and also becomes pitted with any foreign matter that may Contact therewith. (lasings oll this character have also proven iinprantica'i)le in that a [ihn of copper or the like worn trom the contact members generally forms thereon, causing a short circuit as will. he readily understood `loy those skilled in the art.r

' Ylence my invention has .tor its primary object to provide an inner casing or fixed Contact carrying ring 'for timers, Which Will he made ci glass, porcelain, lignum vitae,

Russian hickory, or any like hard non-con? ductor.

Another object ot the present invention is to provide a timer having an Outer casing and an inner casing readily detachaloly se cured Atherein and provided with. novel means for insulatii'ig the fixed. contacts from. the Outer casing. Y

AWith the above and other objects In view lwhich Will appear as the description pro ceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, Combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined hy the appended Claims, it being understood that such changes inthe precise emhodiment of the herein disclosed invention may outer casing 7.

loe made as come Within the scope of the claims Y v In the accompanying drawing I 'have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so .tar devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in Which:

Fig.V 1 is a bottom View, part in plany and part in section'ot my timer or commutator;

Fig.` 2 is a View thereof', part in vertical section and part in side elevation;

Fig. 8 ,is a detailed vieW of the inner casing or contact carrying ring detached from the outer casing, and With the contact memhers removed therefrom.

accompanying drawing, the numeral 5 designates a support which may form part of the timer, or may he part of the engine casing. As shown, the` support is provided with an annular flange 6 providing a reto receive the inner edge of the timer The hody portion 8 of the casing` isl ot annular form yand is closed at its outer side hy a conical end portion 9,

having an `arial recess 1() for receiving the rounded end portion 11 of the member 12 which yieldingly holds the casing in the annular recess ofthe support. The body portion 8 has formed therein a plurality of slots 18 for the purpose hereinafter described. f

The casing` 7 also has its. portion 8 split as at'lt, and provided ivitha pair of opposed earsl, providedv With central apertures for receiving an adjoining bolt 16, this construction readily detachaloly securing in the portion 8 an inner casing or conH tact carrying ring 17. The ring 17 has -'l"o1.nie l on its outer periphery a plurality of spaced laterally projecting` hubs or lugs 18 'for engagement in the slots 13 of the casing, and .in each lug 18 is a central aperture toreceive the shank 19, of a Contact member 20, seated in a recess 21, formed in the linner periphery of ring 17 at the termination of the hore of each lug 18.

y The Shanks 19 oi? the contacts Which eX- tended outwardly of lugs 18, are threaded :is at 22 to receive a nut 23 for securing the contacts .in ring 17, a knurled nut 24 also engaging the threaded portion 22 to secure the terminals of the various electrical Wires leading to the spark plugs, (not shown) of the engine with which the device is being used. y

The contact members 2O are engaged by a roller contact 25 which is carried by a roller arm 26 pivotally secured as at 27 to a collar 28 'formed on a shaft 29 in gear connection with the cani or crank shaft, (not shown) of the engine with which it is being used. As usual, the shaft 29 revoluble at onehalt crank shaft speed and the roller 25 selectively engages the contacts 2O to rdistribute the electrical energy to the spark plugs, (not shown) of the various engine cyliilders in their proper order. The roller is held in resilient engagement With the inner periphery ot 17 by means of a spring 30.

ln orden to conveniently lubricate the Working parts ot' the tiiner, an oil hole 31 is provided in the portion 9 of the casing and is normally covered by means of a spring controlled cap 32. The slit 14 of the casing is positioned at the bottom so that all excess oil will drain therefrom. The casing 7 is lfiurt-her provided with a radially extending arm 33 to form a handle for adjusting the casing to advance'or retard the spark with relation to the engine ot which the timer vforms a part.

rllhe. inner casing or ring 17 is composed of glass, porcelain, Russian hickory. lignum vitae, or vany other desired insulating inaterial oi' the proper hardness, so `that the roller 25 in tracking over the saine will not deposit a thin tilIn'o-t material from contacts 2() Vand thus will prevent the passage ot electrhfal energy li'rom one contact 2t) to the other. YlVhen the rings 17 are made of libre, a film Aol copper deposit is formed on the inner periliihery thereof atteithe same has been used for a short while, and considerable trouble is had in that the current will travel lfrom one contact 2() to the other, and thus cause the engine with which it islbeing used to miss. Further, any 'foreign inatter which may be deposited on the inner suriiace ot ring 17 is Worked in the fibre by means oi? roller 25, but in my device this` is impossible as will be readily understood.

FIOTH the foregoing description, it Awill be seen that my timer is a very simple construction, that the inner casing or contact carrying ring is readily detachable from the outer casing. that the inner casing is of hard Wearing substance. and that the timer is well adapted 'for the purpose as descril'ied.

That l claim as my invention is:

1. A timer, comprising, an outer casing having one end open, said casing being slotted adjacent its open end, an inner casing, :i laterally projecting lug formed on the periphery thereof and engageable in the slot of the outer casing, a contact sui-tace in the inner casing and having a terminal passe/.l through said lateiall),v projecting lug, and a revoluble contactmember adapted to en gage said first named contact member.

2. A timer, comprisine', an outer casing provided with anannular base portion having` formed therein a plurality ol" spaced slots, a contact carrying ring` engageable in said casing, a plurality ol spaced lateiall)Y projecting lugs on said ring and engageable with the slots of said casing, and means for detachably securing said ring in said casing.

3. A. timer, comprising, an outer-casing provided with an annular base portion having a plurality ot' slots spaced. substantially Sl() degrees apart, a ring member provided with a plurality ot radially extending lugs spaced substantially 9() degrees apart and engageable with the slots ot the casing, said lugs being centrally bored and said ring having formed "in its inner peripheral surface a plurality ot recesses adjacent the bores ol.1 said lugs, contact members in said recesses and provided with shanlcs engaging the bores oli said lugs aud extended outwardly thereof, and a revolul'ile contact arm adapted to track on the inner peripheral suriace'olf said ring to selectively engage .said contact members.

lin testimony whereof, l aliix my signature.

JOHN ll. DR dll( )NOVHK Y. 

